I’m terrible at job interviews — what can I do?

I’m terrible when it comes to job interviews. I never know how to answer the questions, I ramble and lose my train of thought, and when they ask me if I have any questions, I don’t. Help!

At least you are self-aware, because it does sound like “interviewing” isn’t your superpower. But take heart, my nervous friend, you are in good company given that most people don’t interview well. That fact won’t help you land a job, though. Getting good enough at interviews just takes a little preparation. Don’t merely recite what’s on your resume. The interviewer wants to get a better sense of you through the story you tell about yourself, including what you’ve done and why, how you think and what kind of co-worker you’d be. Every interview question boils down to one of four topics: What you know about the industry; what you know about the company; what you think the role involves; and what you can say about yourself. Practice responding in short segments of no more than 2 minutes. Once you feel more prepared you can focus and be more effective.

I was offered a job, which I accepted, and resigned from my current position. Now my new employer has rescinded the job offer saying they are on a hiring freeze. My current employer won’t allow me to stay. What are my rights?

You have the right to be upset, but then get over that quickly because you’ve got work to do to protect yourself. Job offers are usually contingent upon passing background and reference checks and there are laws that govern your rights in those situations. Unfortunately, in your case, an employer can say that they can no longer afford to hire you. That doesn’t mean they aren’t on the hook for damages if you can demonstrate them, which in your case is loss of employment and income. Explain that you already resigned and can’t remain with your current job and will suffer significant hardship by being out of work, and see what they say. If they don’t offer to remedy the situation by either reconsidering or offering you compensation, then you should speak to a lawyer.

Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Wednesdays at 9:35 a.m. onGoToGreg.com and on Twitter: @GregGiangrande